Massive Attack's sophomore album, Protection, for me really sits between Blue Lines and Mezzanine, in both its sound and how I feel about the record. The groups style has evolved from the more embryonic version of trip hop present on Blue lines; with the dub, soul and hip hop influences more seamlessly merged together into something darker and more brooding. Yet the album doesn't possess the alien and suffocating atmosphere that runs through much of Mezzanine, and made it so utterly captivating. It's still a really great listen though.
The record opens up on its best, the absolutely fantastic title track. Tracey Thorn's soothing vocals glide over a reverb heavy drum loop and an emotional synth chord pattern. Other elements come and go in the mix, building up to a swell during the chorus. The nearly 8 minute track gives so much time to be absorbed by its atmosphere and heartfelt lyrics about caring about someone and wanting to protect them. Karmacoma follows, contrasting the serenity of Protection with a dubby, tropical atmosphere. It has this cavernous, repetitive sounding percussion and weirdly distorted synths that crop up during the chorus. Thorn also provides vocals for the track Better Things, a minimal and laid-back tune. A simple guitar loop provides the backbone for the song, with the occasional swell of synths or guitar as flourishes. It is all about vocals here. Tracey croons over the mix about not overthinking life and provides the mantra of "Here me say, better things will surely come my way" as the hook.
The tracks Three and Sly feature Nicolette Suwoton on vocals, and both have a mysterious, Middle Eastern vibe to them. Sly in particular is accentuated by lavish strings, making the track sound effortlessly cool, like it should accompany a globe trotting film where the protagonist has found some mysterious hidden city in the desert. Three has more of a synthetic feel to the instrumentation, with a rigid electronic beat and a looping sample of someone saying "Three", repeated into a chant that fades in and out. It certainly makes the track feel less cinematic, but no less mysterious. Euro Child also has a very synthetic atmosphere to it, with the group gently rapping over the grimy beat. There's some melody in this track that sounds almost like vocals, but they are processed to the point that its hard to tell. These are juxtaposed a lounge-esque keyboard line, which gives a very weird off-kilter quality to the song; as if its trying to lure you in despite its harsh and rigid atmosphere.
The penultimate track, Heat Miser, is much closer to the tense claustrophobia of Mezzanine. Ventilated breathing appears at the back of the mix alongside a rigid beat. A dramatic string part accentuates the main piano melody of the song, which itself is intense and spooky. The actual closer is a live, dub cover of The Doors' Light My Fire. It's a great cover, but does feel like a bonus track (even though it's part of the regular track listing), since it is far more lighthearted and fun than the rest of the album.
While I feel like my perception of this album is slightly affected by experiencing Mezzanine first (as everything the group do here is done even better on the next record), it is still a really well executed record. The sounds of this record ebb and flow, and take you on a moody and atmospheric unwind. It also strikes me as an interesting listen from the perspective of the band's sonic development over their first three records. There is a clear progression between each album, yet the development is very linear - there's no real detours into completely different genres along the way. And the title track is so good it makes a listen worth it just for that.
Top Tracks: Protection, Karmacoma, Better Things, Euro Child, Sly, Heat Miser
8/10
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